Collapsible container



COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER Filed June 5, 1930 VII"IIIIIIIIIIII to receivearticles for display. The invention will be well understood by PatentedMay 31, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT,

JAMES L. LAB-KIN, or LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, Assrenon .ro' FORBESLITHOGRAPH A MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or BOSTON, MASSACHUS T S, AcoaroRATroN OF MASSACHUSETTS coLrAPSIBLE CONTAINER This inventionrelates to containers and more particularly to a basket or similarcontainer which may be constructed of cardboard and placed on amerchants counter reference to the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is aperspective View of the contamer in its expended or erected form;

Fig. 2 is a central section of the container partially collapsed;

Fig. 3 is a broken-away plan on an enlarged scale of a blank used toform a handle; and

Fig. 4 is a section throu h the handle on a like scale on the plane ofthe line 4-4 of Fi 1.

The container shown comprises a series of sides 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 andhinged together in circuit. They are herein constructed of a singlepiece of cardboard creased or scored to form the hinges, the ends of thepiece being joined together by the adhesively secured tab or flange 17.The container is preferably larger at the top than at the bottom asshown. In other words, it is in the general form of the frustum of apyramid whose bases are polygons of an even number of sides. For reasonswhich will appear, it is preferable to have at least six sides. Such acontainer can be folded flat, for instance with side 5 face to facewithside 15, 7 with 13 and 9 with 11, or expanded to the position shownin Fig. 1.

The bottom of thecontainer in the form herein shown is what may becalled a false bottom, being disposed well above the lower edges of thesides. It may comprise two sections 19 and 21, herein integrally hingedtogether at their inner edges and hingedly se-' cured, as by means ofdownturned flanges 23 and 25, to the inner faces of two opposite sides 7and 13 0f the container preferably, as shown in Fig. 2, well above thelower edges of these sides.- This bottom can fold, as shown in Fig. 2,when the basket is collapsed,

the sections 19 and 21 then projecting up- Wardly. The combined width ofthe sections 4 is preferably greater than the diameter of the pyramid atthe plane of connection of the two edges to the sides. Thus when thebasket is expanded, the bottom does not extend out flat but projects inconvex form, forming a dihedral ridge,-as shown in Fig. 1. Weight on thebottom tends to press it to the fiat position and thus hold thecontainer expanded. The lateral edges of the bottom sections fit theopposed sides of the container and, when the latter is pyramidal in formas here, these'sides support the bottom from beneath.

The bottom, presenting a ridge in this manner, not only diminishes theavailable space above so that when articles are placed in the containerfor display a relatively few articles Will" give the'appearance of afull basket, but it minimizes the chance that these articles will plleup'flat in the bottom of the. basket. On the contrary,it holds them atvarious angles, giving a more the display.

The container may be provided with a handle and there is herein shown abail-like handie 27 which is'normally flatand which when bowed intoarcuate form to engage opposite sides of the container,as shown in Fig.1, acts resiliently to hold'the same inextended position. This handlemay'bedtachabletopermit'the container to collapse;andv I have hereinshown the opposite inner sides of the basket as being providedwith-spaced strips 29 and 31 presenting downwardly facing pockets. Thehandle may be provided with the T heads 33, the, body of thehandle'fitting betweenthe strips 29 and 31 and the head engaging inthepockets'into which it may be slid from below, as illustrated in Fig.2.

The handle may be easily assembled when the basket is in partially openposition, as

shown in Fig.2. The construction maybe such that when .it. isexpanded,the lateral edges-of the bottom will snap underneath the lower edges ofthe T heads 33 whereby they mutually act'- one on the other, 'thebottomholding thehead engaged in the'pockets and the handle holding the bottomin its depressed. 'or-expanded position. 1 f

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, the handle is preferably formedof a strip ofheavy'cardboard which may becut inwardly from either pleasing appearanceto 6 blank the T head 33 and providing a smooth rounded edge to thehandle where grasped .by the hand and a reinforced body.

I am aware that the invention may be em-' bodied in other specific formswithout departin from the spirit or essential attributes thereo and Itherefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respectsas illustrative and not restrictive; reference being had .to theappended claims rather than th the foregoing description to indicate thescope of the invention.

Claims: I 1. A collapsible container in the form of the frustum of apolygonal pyramid comprising interhinged sides and a folding bottomcomprising two sections connected to opposite sides and having acombined width greater than the diameter of the pyramid 1n the plane ofsuch connection and of'a length to engage sides of the pyramid lateralto said opposite sides. V

2. A collapsible container having six or a greater even number of sidesinterhinged in circuit and adapted alternatively to be folded flat orexpanded into open position and a folding bottom having a correspondingnumber of edges fitting the sides in the expanded condition of thecontainer and comprising two sections connected to opposite sides andhaving a combined width greater than the distance between the lines ofconnection in the expanded position of the container.

3. A collapsible container comprising a circuit of interhinged sidesadapted alternatively to be folded flat or expanded into open positionand a false bottom collapslble with said container and comprising twosections each ivoted at one edge to opposite sides near t e upper edgesthereof and having their opposite edges connected to project upwarddihedrally in the expanded container, said bottom also having edges torest against and be supported on sides of the container lateral to saidopposite sides.

4. A collapsible container comprising a bottom and a circuit ofinterhinged sides adapted alternately to be folded flat or expanded intoopen position, means on opposite sides defining downwardly opening slotsand a bail handle having T heads engageable in said slots, said handlebeing normally flat and when so engaged exerting an expanding stress onsaid sides.

5. A collapsible container comprising a circuit of interhinged sidesadapted alternatively to be folded flat or expanded into open position,a shiftable bottom fitting between the sides in the open position, anormally fiat bail handle bendable to bowed tensioned form to extendbetween opposite sides of the expanded container and means to engage itsend with said sides.

. 6.- A handle comprising a flat strip cut inwardly from its edges nearthe ends, the marginal portions of material between the cuts at eitherside being folded over on the central portion of the strip to provide T.

cuit of interhin ed sides adapted alternative- I 1y to be folded flat orexpanded into open position, sockets on opposite sides thereof, adetachable handle having heads engageable in said sockets, and ashiftable bottom disposed to underlie said heads to maintain them soengaged.

8. A collapsible container comprising a circuit of interhin ed sidesadapted alternatively to be folded fiat or expanded into open position,sockets on opposite sides thereof, a detachable handle having headsengageable in said sockets, and a bottom comprising sections each hingedalong one edge to another pair of opposite sides to project upwardltherefrom when the container is'collapse opposite edges of the sectionsbeing connected to form a bottom when the container is expanded withedge portions of said bottom then underlying said heads to maintain themso engaged.

9. A collapsible container in the form of the frustum of apolygonalpyramid comprising interhinged sides and a folding bottomcomprising two sections connected to opposite sides and centrally hingedto one another, their length along the hinge line being greater than thediagonal width of the polygon which is a section of the pyramid at theplane of connection whereby .the portions of the bottom at theextremities of said line wedge into the adjacent dihedral angles of thepyramid to assist in holding the container expanded. p I

10. A collapsible container in the form of the frustum of a polygonalpyramid com prising interhinged sides and a bottom con nected atopposite sides by means providing a hinge whereby the bottom may liefiat with the collapsed sides, said bottom having edges corresponding tothe remaining sides to engage the same and being of greater area thanthe cross-section of the container in the plane of the connectionwhereby the bottom assumes a non-plane form wedging into the taper ofthe pyramid.

In testlmony whereof, I have signed my

